I'm so whisked up in the controlled chaos of it all I am not even sure of my own thoughts any more, and all I know is I am suddenly very aware of my own shortcomings as a human. Next to me I hear my companion whisper “What have I done with my life?”

It is difficult to overstate the magnificence of the opera itself. Faster-moving than Mozart, more true to prevalent theories of drama than Wagner, and without later imitations in almost any respect, it is one of the truly great combinations of music and theatre.

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The stage adaptation by Tom Wright has adroitly captured the complex nature of this story, one full of contrasts – a fun picnic turned tragedy, English rules and regulations as opposed to the lawlessness of Australian bush and the diminutive schools girls gazing up at a towering rock.

Dolly and a group of her very talented friends joined forces and hands on Saturday and delivered an incredibly enjoyable evening of razor sharp asides, astute observations and a thunderstorm of glitteringly camp costumes.

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At a star-studded ceremony last night, the winners of the 2017 Sydney Theatre Awards were announced, with 37 Awards presented, shared between 18 productions which played in Sydney during the calendar year of 2017.